Infant head support

ABSTRACT

A HAND-HELD DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING THE HEAD OF AN INFANT BEING HELD. THE SUPPORT DEVICE COMPRISES A HEAD SUPPORT PLATE HAVING A TOP AND BOTTOM SURFACE AND A HANDLE CONNECTED TO ONE EDGE OF THE SUPPORT PLATE. THE HANDLE CONSISTS OF A TOP PORTION, A CENTRAL PORTION AND A BOTTOM PORTION. THE TOP PORTION OF THE HANDLE IS CONNECTED AT ONE END THEREOF TO THE SUPPORT PLATE AND AT THE OTHER END TO THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE HANDLE WHICH EXTENDS DOWNARDLY FROM THE TOP PORTION OF THE HANDLE AND AWAY FROM THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF THE SUPPORT PLATE. THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE HANDLE IS CONNECTED TO A BOTTOM PORTION OF THE HANDLE WHICH EXTENDS UNDER THE TOP PORTION OF THE HANDLE AND TOWARDS THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF THE SUPPORT PLATE. THE CENTRAL PORTION HAS A CENTRALLY LOCATED APERTURE FOR THE INSERTION OF FINGERS OF THE USER BETWEEN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE HANDLE AND THE TOP PORTION OF THE HANDLE AND SUPPORT PLATE. IN A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT, THE FREE END OF THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE HANDLE IS RESILIENTLY BIASED UPWARDS TOWARDS THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF THE SUPPORT PLATE. THE SUPPORT IS FORMED INTEGRALLY OF A THERMOPLASTIC SHEET.   D R A W I N G

Feb. 6, 1973 s. A. SEIDEN INFANT HEAD SUPPORT Filed Jan. 21, 1972 FIGJ FIG. 2

United States Patent Office,

3,715,140 Patented Feb. 6, 1973 US. Cl. 294-25 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hand-held device for supporting the head of an infant being held. The support device comprises a head support plate having a top and bottom surface and a handle connected to one edge of the support plate. The handle consists of a top portion, a central portion and a bottom portion. The top portion of the handle is connected at one end thereof to the support plate and at the other end to the central portion of the handle which extends downwardly from the top portion of the handle and away from the bottom surface of the support plate. The central portion of the handle is connected to a bottom portion of the handle which extends under the top portion of the handle and towards the bottom surface of the support plate. The central portion has a centrally located aperture for the insertion of fingers of the user between the lower portion of the handle and the top portion of the handle and support plate.

In a preferred embodiment, the free end of the bottom portion of the handle is resiliently biased upwards towards the bottom surface of the support plate. The support is formed integrally of a thermoplastic sheet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is concerned with providing a support for the head of a very young infant. As is well known, young infants are unable to support their heads upright by themselves. Because of this, extreme care must be used when holding such babies in order to avoid having the head wobble or jerk suddenly causing injury to the baby. Even where no physical injury results from such wobbling or jerking of the unsupported head, such wobbling and jerking frightens the infant and is very disconcerting to the person holding the infant. This situation can occur even when the baby is being cared for by people familiar with caring for young babies. Such occurrences are more prevalent in the case of first born babies where parents are unfamiliar with the precautions that must be taken when handling infants to prevent the infants head from wobbling or jerking with the possibility of serious injury.

Very often, in order to assure that the head of the infant is supported, it is cradled in the palm of one hand. This method leaves only one hand and arm free to support the torso of the infant. No practical hand-held devices are known which provide a convenient way of assisting a person in holding an infant so as to prevent the head from wobbling. There exists a need for a device which is economical and convenient to use which will provide a means of supporting the head of a young infant to prevent the wobbling or jerking motion described above, thereby freeing a hand for providing additional support for the torso of the infant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned with a simple and economical finger-held support for the head of young infants. The support of the present invention comprises a head support plate and a handle. The handle comprises a top portion, a central portion, and a bottom portion. The top portion of the handle is joined at one end thereof to an edge of the support plate and is generally planar with the support plate. The other end of the top portion of the handle is joined to the upper end of the central portion of the handle. The central portion of the handle extends downwardly from the top portion of the handle and away from the bottom surface of the support plate. The bottom end of the central portion of the handle is joined to a first end of the bottom portion of the handle which extends under the top portion of the handle towards the bottom surface of the support plate. The bottom portion of the handle is resiliently biased towards the bottom surface of the support plate. The central portion of the handle is provided with a centrally located finger aperture which is dimensioned so that at least two fingers of a normal sized adult hand may be extended through the aperture and between the top portion of the handle and the bottom portion of the handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a support according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is a view looking towards the bottom of the support shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 taken from the handle end of the support.

FIG. 4 is a partial side view of another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial top view of the embodiment of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a partial side view of a furfther embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing the support of the invention being used to assist in holding an infant.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring in greater detail to the accompanying drawing, FIGS. 1 through 3, the support 2 comprises a support plate 4 of generally circular shape as seen in FIG. 2. The top surface of the plate 4 is indicated at 5 and the bottom surface at 6. One end 7 of the plate 4 is joined to a handle 8 at the juncture 10. The handle 8 comprises a top portion 12, a central portion 14 which extends downwardly from the first portion 12 and away from the bottom surface 6 of the plate 4 and is connected to a bottom portion 16 of the handle 8. The bottom portion 16 extends back under the top portion 12 towards the bottom surface 6 of the plate 4. The end 18 of the bottom portion 16 of the handle 8 terminates as shown adjacent the bottom surface 6 of the support plate 4. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. l-3, and 7, the central portion 14 of the handle including junctions 20 and 22 with the top 12 and bottom 16 portions of the handle 8 respectively is curved. The central portion 14 of the handle 8 has a finger aperture 24 formed in it. The aperture 24 is dimensioned such as to permit the insertion of at least two fingers of a normal adult therethrough in the manner shown in FIG. 7. Y

The support of this invention may be readily formed from an integral sheet of metal or thermoplastic. In the embodiment shown, the support is integrally formed from a sheet of thermoplastic approximately one-eighth inch thick which is first cut and then heated and bent to form the handle. A preferred material is an acrylic-type plastic sold under the trademarks Plexiglas and Lucite. Other methods of forming the support are obvious to those skilled in the art. The support for instance may be molded of plastic.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the support plate of an alternate embodiment of the invention wherein the central part 26 of the top of the plate 4' is shaped concavely so as to form a saucer-like depression to accommodate the infants head.

In FIG. 6 is shown a section of the support plate 4" of an alternate embodiment of the invention wherein the top surface 5" of the plate 4" is provided with a pad 28 which is secured to the top surface 5" of the plate 4" by a layer of adhesive 30. This provides more comfort for the infant and the padding 28 also serves to stabilize the position of the head of the infant on the plate 4".

FIG. 7 shows the support 4 of this invention being used to assist in holding an infant indicated at 32. Two fingers 34, generally the index and middle finger, are inserted through the aperture 24 as shown. As the finger 34 are inserted through the aperture 24 between the top portion 12 and the bottom portion 16 of the handle 8, the bottom portion 16 of the handle near the end 18 is spread away from the bottom surface 6 of the plate 4. As indicated above, the bottom portion of the handle is generally normally biased towards the bottom surface of the plate 4 as indicated by the arrow 34 in FIG. 7.

As the fingers 34 are inserted, the bottom portion 16 of the handle 8 together with the bottom surface 6 of the plate 4 squeeze the fingers gently to help hold the support on the fingers. The position of the support 4 is controlled by the pressure of the fingers 34 on the bottom surfaces of the plate 4 and the top portion 8 of the handle, and the edges of the aperture 24. As shown in FIG. 7, the head 36 of the infant rests on the top surface of the plate 4 and the palm 38 and thumb 40 of the arm may be used to a much greater extent than normal to support the torso 42 of the infant 32.

While the invention has been explained by detailed description of certain specific embodiments, it is understood that various modifications and substitutions can be made in any of them within the scope of the appended claims which are intended also to include equivalents of such embodiments.

What is claimed is:

1. An infant head support comprising a head support plate, a top surface and a bottom surface of said plate, and a handle, said handle comprising a top portion, a

4 central portion, and a bottom portion, said top portion of said handle being joined at one end thereof to an edge of said support plate, and at the other end thereof to a top end of said central portion of said handle, said top portion of said handle being generally planar with said plate, said central portion of said handle extending downwardly from said top portion of the handle and away from the bottom surface of said support plate, the bottom end of said central portion being joined to a first end of said bottom portion of said handle, said bottom portion of said handle extending under said top portion of said handle and towards said bottom surface of said support plate, and terminating at a second end under said support plate, said central portion of said handle having a finger aperture centrally located therein.

2. A support as claimed in claim 1 wherein said top surface of said plate is covered with a pad.

3. A support as claimed in claim 1 wherein the top surface of said support plate is concave.

4. A support as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second end of said bottom portion of said handle is resiliently biased upwards towards the bottom surface of said support plate.

5. A support as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plate and said handle are integrally formed.

6. A support as claimed in claim 4 wherein said plate and said handle are integrally formed.

7. A support plate as claimed in claim 6 wherein said support is formed of acrylic plastic.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,114,527 12/1963 Demarest 248ll8 3,214,167 10/1965 Pell 2942S X EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner I. D. CHERRY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2941 R 

